Garage door construction



m 3 A, 7 i

@cfi. 8, 1940. w. D. FERRIS ET AL GARAGE DOOR CONSTUCTION Filed Aug. 12,1938

2 Sheets-Sheet l /Gfi.

INVENTIORS CecLZE ZZ/Of 4 9,-.- ZZ/l'awfl 2/? WM TTORNEY.

Oct 8, m w. D. mm U M. 2,217 3 GARAGE DOOR CONS TUCTION Filed Aug. 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Zdof Wilda/w 121 52 725 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 8, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 2,211.43: GARAGE noon CONSTRUCTION William 1). Ferris, Sterling, and Cecil 1:. won,

Rock Falls, 111., assignors'to Frantz Manufacturing 00., Sterling, 111., a. corporation of Illinois Application August 12, 1938, Serial No. 224,442

31 Claims.

This invention relates'to garage doors, andmore particularly to those that are made in sections having their horizontal edges hinged together, so that the door is of the rol1-uptype, having a horizontal overhead position when it is open.

Generally stated, the .object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction and arrangement whereby a garage door of this type is adapted to open and close with very little clearance or space above it, when it is in its open position, thereby to' avoid unnecessary waste space, and reduce the cost of the construction of the building accordingly, in the installation and use of a roll-up garage door of this character.

It is also an object to provide certain details and novel features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general eificiency and the desirability of a roll-up or flexible door of this particular construction.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a garage door einbodying the principles of the invention, and of adjacent portions of the building, with certain portions shown broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the door in open position. 7, A

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing only a portion thereof, on a larger scale, illustrating the initial opening movement of the door.

Fig. i is a view similar to Fig. 3, with the upper portion thereof shown broken away, and with the parts in a different position.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on line 5-5 in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Fig. 6 is a detail or fragmentary sectional view illustrating a difierent form of the invention.

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the parts in a different position.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of certain parts of the door construction.

As thus illustrated, and referring to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, as well as Fig. 8, the invention a into an overhead open position.

comprisesa' garage door formed of separate sec-' To assist in opening the door, coil springs 5 are provided, connected by cords 6 with the lowermost section B of the door, and guided by sheaves l on. the building, so that when the door is started upwardly, the said springsserve 6 to assist in raising it into an overhead open posiion.

To guide the door in its opening and closing movements, vertical tracks 8 are provided at each side of the doorway and secured to the 10 building, and horizontal overhead tracks 9 are also provided, in the same vertical planes as the vertical sections of track, and the horizontal and 4 vertical sections are connected together at each side by curved sections it], or by sections of any 1 suitable or desired shape. The hinges between the sections of the door have rolls or wheels ii, that travel in said tracks, the latter being preferably channel-shaped for that purpose, and being rigidly mounted on the lauildingat opposite sides of the doorway.

The upper section i may have its upper end provided with a pair of rolls or wheels I2, and the flanges for the curved sections It may be omitted on the upper sides thereof, so that this door section I can swing inwardly to engage the rolls I2 with the said tracks, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the door is closed, of course, section B is vertically aligned with the other sections of the door and may be held in that position by any suitable or desired means. But when the section l is pushed inwardly to an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the rolls or wheels 52 will then follow the paths of travel provided by the sections ill and 9 of the tracks, and the rolls or wheels M will follow, with the result that the entire door structure will gradually assume a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In this horizontal position, it will be seen that the door is in a plane that is approximately the same as the horizontal plane of the top of the doorway, or the upper edge of the flexible door, and hence that practically no clearance, or at least very little, is required above the door for the opening and closing movements thereof. This is because the upper section I of the door has its upper end normally out of engagement with the tracks at the opposite sides of the doorway, when the door is closed, instead of being in engagement, either directly or indirectly therewith.

Obviously, in a structure in which the rolls H are on the sections, and are at all times in engagement with the tracks, the curved sections It) would have to be above the plane of the upper a good dealof waste space, and considerable unnecessary expense in the construction of the building, as it would require more clearance or space above the door in its horizontal position, than is required with the construction shown and described.

The upper section I of the door can be held in vertical or closed position, by any suitable or desired means, but in Figs. 3 and 4 means are illustrated for this purpose. In these figures of the drawings, as also shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, a crank rod I3 is mounted horizontally on the inside or back of the door, and the cranks at the ends thereof are pivotally connected by links or rods I4 with the brackets .I5 on the door section I near the lower edge of the latter. The crank I6 at the middle of the rod I3 is connected in a suitable manner to a push-and-pull rela-' tively short rod I! that extends outwardly through the door, and which has a handle crank on its outer end. Thus, when the rod I! is pushed inwardly, the door section I is raised into its vertical position; but when the rod I1 is pulled outwardly, the section I is then swung inwardly into its inclined position, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 3, respectively.

Handles can be provided on the outer side of the door, as well as on the inside thereof, to assist in opening and closing the door. Also, it is obvious that some form of keylock or latch can be employed in conjunction with the handle rod IT, in order to keep the section I in closed position, and thus prevent entrance to the garage.

Or, instead of using the device illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, for opening the upper section I of the flexible 'door, a device such as the one shown in Figs. 6 and 7 can be used, instead. In this case, a vertical rod I9 has its upper end pivotally connected with the previously mentioned crank I6, and is mounted to slide up and down in a bracket 20 on the lowermost section of the door. This rod has a collar 2I thereon, below said bracket, and between the latter and said collar a compression spring 22 is interposed, as shown. With this arrangement, when the door is in its closed position, and is lifted a little, the spring 22 will immediately expand, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, and in so doing will pull, the section I inwardly into its inclined position,-

so that the flexible or roll-up door can then be raised into its overhead open position, with the assistance of the springs 5, previously mentioned. Then, when the door is pulled downward, into its closed position, it will be seen that the said springs 5 will serve to cushion the closing movement, so that the door will not come down with a jolt or impact, and for this purpose any suitable means can be employed for adjusting the tension of the springs 5, to insure the proper balance of the door. Obviously, with either the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or with the devices shown in Figs. 6 and 7, a looking or latching device can be provided, for maintaining the door in its closed position, so that it cannot be raised to any extent until after it is unlocked or unlatched, and such unlocking or unlatching can be done from the inside or the outside, by any suitable known or approved means for this purpose.

Thus, in accordance with the invention, a flexible or roll-up door is provided that has its uppermost section adapted to swing outwardly into vertical position, out of engagement, either directly or indirectly, with the tracks, so that in order to open the door, the said swinging top section must be first swung inwardly, and by providing this engagement and disengagement feature, between the upper end of the-door and the tracks, the necessary space above the door, when it is in open position, is practically reduced to a'minimum. I

With further reference to Figs. 6 and.7 of the drawings, it will be seen that a so-called dolly or truck 23 can be interposed between the tracks and the uppermost door section I, to act as a leader for the upper end of the door, being provided with rolls 24 at its .upper end to engage the said tracks, so that when the section I is pushed or pulled inwardly, it assumes an inclined 7 position against the dolly or truck 23, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings. But when the door is in closed position, the section I then assumes its vertical position, leaving the dolly or truck .23 in its inclined position, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

Similarly, in Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, a

dolly or truck 25 can be employed, if desired, with the wheels or rolls I2 on the upper end thereof, instead of on the upper end of the section I of the flexible door. In this way, the door section I does not actually engage and disengage the tracks, but does engage and disengage the dolly or truck, which latter is always in engagement with the tracks, the said dolly or truck, in each case, being hinged at its, lower end by the action of the hinges between the sections I and 2 of the door.

It follows, .therefore, that whether the'guiding rolls or wheels are mounted on the uppermostsection of the door, or are mounted on the so-called dolly or truck, it is nevertheless true that, in effect'the said uppermost section is engageable with or disengageable from the tracks. If these guiding rolls or wheels are on the uppermost section itself, then the flanges of the tracks must be formed to permit said engagement or disengagement, but when the rolls or-wheels are on said dolly, the flanges of the tracks may be continuous, as in such case all guiding rolls or wheels are at all times in engagement with the tracks. But, in either form of the invention, the said uppermost section of the door is adapted to be tilted inwardly into either direct or indirect engagement with the tracks, and to be tilted outwardly from either said engagement, into'a vertical position in the vertical plane of the other door sections below.

Hence, a considerable saving in cost of construction is accomplished.

Obviously, in accordance with the broader aspects of the invention, the intermediate sections of the tracks, between the vertical and horizontal sections, can be straight instead of curved, if such is necessary or desirable, and these inclined straight intermediate sections of the tracks can have direct engagement with the rolls on the uppermost section of the door, or they'can have intermediate engagement through the medium of the said dolly or truck shown and described. An important aspect of the invention, therefore, is that the said intermediate sections of the tracks, between the vertical and horizontal sections thereof, are neither necessarily nor desirably located above the plane of the top of the doorway, but to the contrary are below this plane, with the consequence that overhead space is greatly reduced, with a consequent saving, i the COl'lStIfI-IC, tion of the building.

It will be seen that the rigid horizontal sections 9 of the tracks, all sections of which are rigid and held it fixed position, are in a horizontal plane below the top of the doorway, which means that the door itself is practically in said plane when in its overhead or open position, and in this connection it will be seen that the springs 5, when entirely contracted, are within the area of the door, and it will be understood that the opening movement of the door can be limited bythe brackets shown in Figs. '1 and 2, to which the fixed ends of the springs are attached, at the extreme right of these figures. Thus, said springs are hitched to the lower end of the door, and are operative to assist in raising the door into open position, and are also capable of serving to cushion the closing movement of the door.

Thus, in efiect, it will be seen that, in either form of the invention, the upper end of the uppermost section I of the door is engageable with and disengageable from the curved sections of the tracks, and that in each form of the invention the rolls I2 are associated with the upper corners of the said uppermost door section. In Fig. 3, for example, the door section I is indirectly in engagement with the tracks, through the medium of the rolls I2 and the upper end of the dolly or trucks 25, whereas without this dolly or truck, and with the. rolls mounted directly on the upper corners of the section I, the latter would then be indirectly engageable with the tracks through the medium of these rolls. It amounts to practically the same thing, inasmuch as in either form of the invention the upper end of the section I is permitted to swing out of control by the tracks, into a vertical position, in the plane of the door in its closed position. In that sense,

. therefore, in each form of the invention, the upper end of the section I is engageable with and disengageable from the tracks in the manner shown and described, but Fig. 3, having the truck 25 with the rolls I2 thereon, is the preferred form of the invention.

In Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen, the rod II and its handle l8 are movable into normal position, by the section I, when the latteris in the overhead open position of the door. This is because the section I, as soon as it is in thehorizontal overhead position thereof, swings into line with the section 2, and in this way restores the handle I8 to the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Then, when the door is fully closed, this handle can be pulled out, into the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby to close the top section I of the door. Similarly, the spring I2 is put under some tension, as soon as the section I of the door is in its overhead open position. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. '7, when the door is almost in its closed position, the spring 22 is not again under tension, of course, until the door is fully closed as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

Therefore, in-either form of the invention, it is true that provisions are made for enabling the upper end of the door to swing into and out of control connection with the tracks. In Fig. 3, for example, the top section I has been swung inwardly into control connection with the tracks. In Fig. 1, however, the door section I has been swung outwardly and out of control connection with the tracks, and it will be understood that by this is meant that it is the top of the section I that is thus swung into and out of control connection with the tracks, for this section I remains under the control of the tracks through the medium of the rolls II at its extreme lower edge.

Also, in each form of the invention, it will be seen that the controlling means, for controlling the independent swinging motion of the top section of the door, are movable, and are carried entirely by the door itself, so that the only stationary. controlling means for the top section of the door are the overhead portions of the tracks.

Thus, when the uppermost door section I is in its vertical closed position, it is under track control at its lower edge, but at its upper edge it is entirely out of track control, and is not held in vertical position byany stationary track portion, orby any stationary means whatever, but is only held in vertical closed position by devices operable either manually or automatically to enable it to swing inwardly when it is desired to move the door as a whole into its overhead open position. In other words, in its verticalclosed position, the only track control to which the uppermost door section I is subject is at its lower edge, through the medium of the hinge connection between this edge and the upper edge of the door section 2 immediately below. But the uppermost section I can be held in closed position by any suitable or desired means which can be either manually or automatically operated or adjusted to permit the section I to swing inwardly in the initial opening of the door as a whole, or to retain-the section I in its vertical closed position when the door as a whole is in its vertical position.

It will be seen that in each form of the invention, the devices for manually controlling the upper section, of the door are free from any engagement with the tracks or any control by the latter, and that in each form of the invention the tracks have no movable sections, but instead are rigid and fixed in their entirety.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a garage door, horizontal door sections hinged together at their horizontal meeting edges, rigid tracks fixed both vertically and horizontally at opposite sides of the doorway, to'directly control said door sections, with fixed intermediate track sections between the vertical and horizontal sections thereof, means on the opposite side edges of the door for engaging said tracks, to guide the door into its overhead open position, or into its wertical closed position, the top of the uppermost section of the door being in effect connectable with and disconnectable from said tracks by a swinging movement of this uppermost door section about an axis at its lower edge, while the other sections below are in the vertical plane of the door when closed, so that the upper end of the swinging door section is free from connection with said tracks and is only connected therewith at its lower edge, when the door is in closed position, and means free from any control by or engagement with said tracks, for controlling said swinging movement of the uppermost section of the door.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, the control of said swinging movement of the upper section of the door being manual, a handle and coing a hinged dolly or truck that is interposed between the said uppermost section of the door and the tracks, and that always engages the latter, 7

for .that purpose.

providing a leader for leading the entire flexible door structure upward into its horizontal open position, and so that the upper section of the door has indirect engagement only with the tracks.

5. In a garage door, horizontal door sections hinged together at their horizontal meeting edges, tracks at opposite sides of the doorway,

with means on the opposite side edges of the door for engaging the tracks, to guide the door into its overhead horizontal position, or into its vertical closed position, the uppermost section'of the door being movable inwardly and outwardly about an axis at its lower edge, while the other sections below remain stationary in the vertical plane of the closed position of the door, and means engaging said tracks to guide said uppermost section upwardly and then horizontally, when the door -is opened, and then downwardly to an inclined position when the door is closed, together with controlling means for causing'said uppermost section to swing inwardly to permit the door to be opened, and to swing outwardly into the ver- 4 the other sections of the door are in the vertical plane thereof. I

. 7. A structure-as specified in claim 5,'said guiding means comprising rolls associated with the upper corners of said uppermost door section, to engage said tracks, said tracks having curved sections between vertical and horizontal sections, said rolls engaging said curved track sections when the uppermost door section is inwardly inclined, while the other sections of the door are in the vertical plane thereof, together with a 1 dolly or truck hinged at its lower end to the axis of said uppermost section, and having its upper end provided with said rolls for engaging said tracks, so that said rolls are always in engagement with the tracks, and said uppermost door section is adapted to swing inwardly against the dolly or truck, or outwardly and away therefrom.

8. A structure as specified in claim 5, said guiding means including rolls for engaging said tracks, to direct the said uppermost door section upwardly and then horizontally when the door is opened, and thereafter outwardly and downwardly when the door is closed, said uppermost section being the leading section when the door is raised into horizontal overhead position, and being the following section'when the door is moved into its closed or vertical position in the doorway.

9. A structure as specified in claim 5, said means for controlling the swinging movement of the uppermost section being operable from ,the outer side of the door, having an outside handle sections immediately below the horizontal open position of the door, and intermediate sections of any suitable shape between said vertical and horizontal sections, the vertical and horizontal and intermediate sections of each track being rigidly united.

I If

11. A structure as specified measl -ifs, the horizontal open position of the door beiiigjfsubstantially or practically in the horizontaiplane of the top of the doorway, thereby to minimize the, necessity of clearance or space above the door. for

the opening and. closing movements thereof, and.

springs hitched to the lower end of, the door to assist in opening the latter, and to cushion the closing thereof.

12. In a garage door construction, horizontal separate door sections having their horizontal .meeting edges hinged together, to provide in effect a flexible door, which is flexible about horizontal axes, tracks at opposite sides of the doorway, having both vertical and horizontal and intermediate sections, and means on the side edges of the door for engaging said tracks, means to permit free outward and inward swinging motion of the top of the uppermost door section, when the body of the door is in vertical position, thereby to permit said uppermost section to swing into vertical alignment with the other sections below, together with instrumentalities whereby to cause said uppermost section to swing inwardly, when it is desired to raise and, in effect, fiex the door into its horizontal overhead open position, and to swing said uppermost section outwardly when the door is closed, the plane of said open position being approximately or substantially the same as the horizontal plane of the upper edge of the door in its vertical or closed position,

13. A structure as specified in claim 12, the tilting of the upper door section toward and away from the tracks being manually controlled.

14. A structure as specified in claim 12, the

from the tracks being automatic, by slightly lifting the door in the vertical plane thereof when it is desired to open the door, and by the approach of the lower end of the door to the floor of the. building, when it is desired to close the door.

15. An overhead garage door, rigid tracks held in fixed position for guiding the opening and closing of the door, provisions enabling the upper end of the door to swing freely into and out of control by said tracks, and movable controlling means free from control by said tracks and carried by the door; operable on the inner side thereof, whereby to swing the upper end of the door into or out of control by said tracks, while the doc is in vertical position.

l6. A'structure as specified in claim 15, the top of the door being hinged to the body thereof, for the purpose of said swinging motion of the upper end of the door. I

17. A structure as specified in claim 15, said provisions comprising a dolly 'or truck having means always engaging said tracks, and having a separable engagement with said upper end of the door.

18. A structure as specified in claim 15, said controlling means having a handle for the manual operation thereof.

19. A structure as specified in claim 15, said controlling means comprising a spring normally under tension, when .the door is closed, with pro-.

visions whereby said spring is operable automatically to swing the top of the door out of control by said tracks, when the door is slightly lifted in the vertical position thereof.

tilting of the upper door section toward and away 20. A structure as specified in claim 15, said controlling means being operable into normal position by the closing of the door, when the top of the door is in the overhead open position of the door.

21. A structure as specified in claim 12, comprising springs mounted on said tracks, which latter are entirely below the horizontal plane of the upper edge of the door, with flexible connections and sheaves co-operating with said springs, for assisting in opening the door and for cushioning the closing movement thereof, connected to the latter below said uppermost section,

adapted to avoid interference with the inward swing of the uppermost section of the door, for the initial opening of the latter, or for the outward swing of said section when the door sections below are in the vertical plane of the doorway, said springs being disposed horizontally in a plane immediately above said first mentioned plane, and the door being in said first mentioned plane when in open position.

22. A structure as specified in claim 12, having rolls to guide the upper end of the uppermost door section on said tracks, in the opening of the door, which tracks are entirely below the horizontal plane of the upper edge of the door, when the latter is in closed position.

23. A garage door composed of sections hinged together at points between their horizontal meeting edges, the door having a vertical closed position and an overhead open position, stationary tracks for guiding the door into its overhead open position and downwardly into its closed position, the uppermost door section having track control at its lower edge only, when in its vertical closed position, so thatits upper edge is entirely free from track control in that position, means whereby the upper edge of said uppermost door section is under track control when it is swung inwardly about the hinge connection at its lower edge, and movably mounted devices tree from engagement with said tracks and operable to hold said uppermost door section in its said vertical closed position, when the door in its entirety is closed, and for'tilting said uppermost door section inwardly when it is desired to move the entire door into its overhead open position.

24. A structure as specified in claim 23, said devices being movably supported on the inner side or the door, and upwardly connected to said uppermost door section, and having direct control of the door, independently of said tracks.

25. A structure as specified in claim 23, said devices being provided with an outside handle for the manual operation thereof.

26. A structure as specified in claim 23, said devices comprising spring means whereby said uppermost door section is automatically tilted inwardly when the door as a whole is raised slightly in its closed position, and whereby the final closing movement of the door serves automatically to swing said uppermost door section into its said vertical closed position.

27. A garage door composed of horizontal sections hinged together at their horizontal edges, rigid tracks at the opposite sides of the doorway, inside the building, means on said door to engage said tracks, the latter being formed to guide the door upward into an overhead open position, with the upper edge of the door entirely out of track control, when the door is in vertical closed position, so that said upper edge at such time is free frm control by any stationary means, and means forproviding track control over said upper edge,

when the latter is swung inward.

28. A structure as specified in claim 2'7, and manually controlled means independent of said tracks for swinging said upper edge into and out of track control, carried entirely by the door itself.

29. A structure as specified in claim 27, and

means including a handle movably mounted on the door for manually controlling said upper edge.

30. A structure as specified in claim 27, said manually controlled means compriisng a springactuated device operable by slight upward movement of the door in its closed position.

31. A multl-section overhead door comprising a plurality of hinged door sections, bearing means upon each of said sections engageable with a pair of tracks, said tracks being located on opposite sides of the door opening and each having a vertical rail curved inwardly at the top thereof and merging with a horizontal rail normal to said opening, and means to tilt the uppermost section of the door inwardly while the other door sections remain stationary.

WILLIAM D. FERRIS. CECIL R. WOLF. 

